NOTD Rimmel London Black Cab

Happy Leap Year Day!

This morning I received a little package from the Glam girls with a few Rimmel products that were in the LFW Goody Bags that I was sadly unable to make. I couldn't wait to try out the polishes - and here we have Rimmel I Love Lasting Finish polish in Black Cab. I love the cute bottles which are just the right size and I found them to be great quality and very affordable. The polish was so highly pigmented only one coat was needed and it gave a lovely glossy finish and promises to be chip-free . I made a feature nail on my ring fingers with left-over Leopard Print nail wrap I had knocking about. 

What do you think? Rimmel London I Love Lasting Finish Nail Polishes cost £2.99 each and are available from Boots.

Marni At H&M SS12

H&M has unveiled the SS12 Marni for HM Collection promo images that were shot in Marrakech to show off the inspiration from Consuelo Castiglioni's eclectic quirky style. The collection features printed dresses, sequinned collars,  luxurious silk scarfs, printed silk shirts, contrasting silk trousers, to the metallic wooden-heeled shoes and oversized statement necklaces. The high-end fabrics and quirky prints guarantee that it's sure to be one of H&M's most popular high street meets designer collaborations ever.

 What are your favourite picks from the Marni at H&M collection?

Thinking Slimmer Week 3

It's three weeks since my mum began her Thinking Slimmer weight-loss programme and as part of this we shall be ditching the scales and measuring her with a measuring tape instead each Monday! You can read more about Thinking Slimmer and my mum's mission to loose 3 stone without going on a diet here.  


Today she reached an important milestone : 21 days, her mind is thought to have been gently re-tuned now and is now on it's way for lasting weight loss to begin. With doing so well in her first week and last week not loosing any inches, has put pressure on her to loose the weight - but we were reminded by Sandra that it is no race as everyone progresses at a different speed! It is far more important to make permanent changes in her eating habits and live a healthier lifestyle.


From today she is starting the second part of her 42-day programme to help to start loosing weight and feel great about herself again. She has had a couple of treats and a meal out but has definitely been eating smaller portions, and has had more energy and been going on walks this week.

Monday Measurements (Week 3)  27/02/12:

Waist= 40.5 inches
Hips = 40.5 inches
Bust = 39.5 inches
Thighs = 23 inches
Arms = 12.5 inches


As you can see she has lost half an inch from her waist and an inch from her hips this week which is great! Are you also Thinking Slimmer through listening to Slim Pods?  Would love to hear how your progressing if you are! 

MAC Shop MAC Cook Collection

I mentioned yesterday that none of the recent MAC Collections have caught my eye, apart from the up-and-coming Marilyn Monroe Collection - which is not out until October, and what do you know but another couple of exciting collections come along all at once. The new Spring M.A.C Collections Shop and Cook have just launched exclusively to Selfridges online and in store in the form of a Pop Up Shop and it is sure to sell out quickly!

SHOP M.A.C
Shop 'til you drop with a tongue-in-cheek collection that elevates the everyday into the extraordinary. I love the bright yet wearable colours and the retro kitch-esq packaging. The pop up shop opened on 14th Feb and shall be there for 2 weeks and features nail polishes, lipsticks, eye shadow quads and cream blushes.

COOK M.A.C

Gourmet glamour is here look delicious whilst you serve up dinner! Bon Appetit! Cook shall launch on March 1st and feature three new nail polishes, fluidlines, powders and the amazing Tendertone Lip balms. 

The collection in available exclusively to Selfridges for two weeks so get your skates on if you wish to purchase as it's sure to sell out fast! 

                                                                                       

                                                            

Marilyn Monroe MAC Collaboration

I haven't been that bothered about any MAC Collections for a while to be honest but I was excited to hear that MAC shall be bringing out a Marilyn Monroe Collection! MAC shall celebrate Marilyn's legacy and the iconic Hollywood inspired range shall feature 30 products including Lipsticks, eye shadows, Nail Polishes and Eyeliners. There surely has to be a red lipstick and black eyeliner included in the collection - I wonder if the packaging will be retro inspired? 

"Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius and it's better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring"  Marilyn Monroe

I shall keep you updated when I know more but this collection won't be launched until October 2012. I can't wait, can you?! Are you a Marilyn Fan?

The Marilyn Monroe for MAC collection will be priced between £9.50-£17 available from Selfridges and Debenhams

Wash Dry’n Shape Make Up Brushes

As you will know it's important to wash your makeup brushes regularly to avoid spreading bacteria and germs onto your face, which can cause spots. There is nothing more annoying than having to wait for your brushes to dry - I normally have to leave mine overnight to dry thoroughly. Thought I would share this niffy invention to make drying your make up brushes much easier! The new Dry’n Shape is Sigma Beauty’s revolutionary drying system. It is designed to dry and shape your most dense brushes within 4 to 6 hours, guaranteed. The fabric used to shape the bristles was specially engineered to accelerate water evaporation, resulting in a faster drying time for your brushes. This would also double as a handy brush roll to store your makeup brushes in if you turned it inside out.

Dry 'n' Shape is priced at $29, roughly £18 and you can find out more and order here. This month you receive 10% off your entire order when entering the code 'LOVE2012' at the checkout (valid until 28/2/12)! You also get a free gift with orders over $30! How do you wash and dry your make up brushes? What do you think to this Dry 'n' Shape invention?

Montezuma's Real Chocolate Box Club

With all the Beauty Boxes on the  market at the moment I thought I would post about something a little different: Montezuma's Real Chocolate Box Club! Montezuma's is monthly subscription service that delivers gourmet good quality chocolates from their Brighton shop straight to your door. The concept is simple, they send a very generous 600g of chocolates which includes three chocolate slabs and a section of truffles all nicely presented in a box for your enjoyment at home. 

The club costs £19.99 per month which includes P&P, and you can sign up for a month, or for how long you wish, or send as a gift which would make the best gift ever for a chocolate lover! The chocolate box is designed to slip through the letterbox and doesn't require a signature, so there is no waiting around for them to be delivered. The box is stylish but simple that emphasises the contents and not how much they spend on packaging and printing.  

Each month the Montezuma's team dream up new flavors which are often inspired by a food theme and they are all as gorgeous as they sound! I was sent the February Chocolate Box which contained a nice selection of handmade chocolates with a 'Love' theme, made by Gill who says to enjoy them before May - but they definitely won't last until then in fact I have worked my way through most of the box already ;) 

TEZCA: Venezuelan Milk Chocolate Apple, Raisin and Cinnamon Bar with Milk Chocolate Banana Crunch Truffles. 


YUMKA: Dark Chocolate and Peppermint Bar with Dark and White Chocolate Strawberry Champagne Heart Truffles. 


HUITZU: Mixed Venezuela Milk and Ecuador Dark Chocolate Bar with Milk Chocolate Coffee and Biscuit Truffles.  


The Tezca is a play on Apple Strudel replacing pastry with chocolate and was delicious! Normally I'm not keen on banana flavored treats but the Banana Crunch truffles were surprisingly good, they were subtly flavored and tasted like fresh banana. I enjoyed the peppermint bar and the Strawberry Champagne Heart Truffles were gorgeous are were my favourites they were creamy and contained real pieces of strawberry inside. 


For more information and to order your own box you can visit Montezumas mmmm...

Get GLOSSYBOX Half Price for just £5!

You may have read my post yesterday about the February GLOSSYBOX - If you have been thinking about subscribing then now is your chance as you can save 50% so instead of costing £10 (plus p&p) it is now £5!


You can cancel at any time so your not tided into a contract - and they will be revealing a mystery box for March which sounds exciting! To take part in this fab offer click  here and enter 'GLOSSYTUBE2012' in the voucher code box at the checkout to receive your half price discount!

                                                                                        

                                                               
                                                 

Thinking Slimmer Week 2

So as you know two weeks ago my mum began her Thinking Slimmer weight-loss programme and as part of this we shall be ditching the scales and measuring her with a measuring tape instead each Monday! You can read more about Thinking Slimmer and my mum's mission to loose 3 stone without going on a diet here. 


Last week Monday Measurements she lost 3 inches from her waist however this week she hasn't been as . Although she still carried on religiously listening to the Slim Pod each night before bed, with it being half term holidays my mum has been off work and relaxing and going out to lunch so she hasn't been as strict with eating healthier. 


She has been out twice for lunch and this included having Fish and Chips and she has also had a couple of deserts! She definitely hasn't been drinking enough Green Tea or water as she should.


Monday Measurements (Week 2)  20/02/12:


Waist= 41 inches
Hips = 42.5 inches
Bust = 39.5 inches
Thighs = 23 inches
Arms = 12.5 inches


Although it's quite disappointing she has not lost anything this week, at least she hasn't gained anything! I am hoping that not loosing anything this week will make her more determined for this coming week. 

Review: REN No 1 Purity Cleansing Balm

As you will know I love trying out new skincare and discovering new brands. I had heard of REN Skincare but until recently I had not got round to trying out any of their products when I was given their best selling No1 Purity Cleansing Balms to try. In the winter I love using cleansing oils or balms as I find them very hydrating as my skin tends to be drier in the colder months. REN skincare uses the latest hi-tech bio actives, and is free from skin-friendly synthetic ingredients and is gorgeously pleasurable to use. The REN range contain all natural ingredients and no petrochemicals, sulphates, parabens, synthetic fragrances, colours or silicones. 

The rose-infused cleansing balm is suitable for all skin types and contains rose oil, pink violet leaf extract, chamomile oil and gently yet thoroughly melts away dirt and makeup including waterproof mascara to leave skin purified, calm and glowing. It protects the skin's defense barrier against everyday environmental stress, free radicals and pollution, as well as conditioning the lashes and brows. The balm comes in a simple no fuss pot which is very large and you definitely get more for your money than some other similar balms on the market, which are 4X the price and full of cheap chemical ingredients. 


The balm smells of roses funnily enough but is a calming spa-like scent rather than old ladies! I warmed a little of the balm in the palms of my hands until it turns into an oil, I then massaged over my dry face for 2-3 minutes which feels very luxurious. I then added a little warm water to the oil and it transforms into a rich milk I then damped the cloth (that comes with the balm) in hot water and gently removed the milk. My skin afterwards felt lovely and soft and hydrated before I applied any serum or moisturiser - a winner for me!


REN No 1 Purity Cleansing Balm is priced at £30 for 100ml and is available from Liberty, Selfridges, John Lewis & Look Fantastic. Have you tried REN skincare before?   

Feb 2012 GLOSSYBOX

This morning I had a nice early wake-up call when the postman delivered the February GLOSSYBOX arrived!  As last month's special Valentine Limited Edition box was sent out a little later than usual it seems to have come around quicker than normal but it's nice to see the olde pale pink boxes back as it's been a while! GLOSSYBOX is subscription package that sends you a box of 5 luxury beauty samples beautifully wrapped to your door to try out each month for the price of £10 per month + postage & packaging then if you like you are able to buy the full size product discounted. It's a lovely little treat each month and they make wonderful gifts for a beauty lover that likes to discover new trends or new brands. 


This month's box is The Fashion Week Edition - 5 fabulous essentials to keep you looking your fashionable best. London Fashion Week is the most glamorous week of the year, as well as the most gruelling for models, designers, editors, bloggers and professional party-goers. As any fashion-week veteran can tell you, surviving the early mornings, long days and late nights whilst looking absolutely fabulous is all about preparation, darling! 

So what's in this month's box:


DUWOP Venom Gloss in buttercup (Value £7.62)
A lovely nude plumping lip gloss with a cinnamon scent - a nice handbag size to carry around to use throughout the day. 


IMPRESS BY BROADWAY NAILS Press on Manicure (Value £17.40)
These are the only full size product in the box this month but I can't get over the price - £17.40 seems expensive for press on nails! However I'm very excited to try these out - I have used press on nails many times before but haven't seen any that you just peel off the sticker on the back and press them on - simple as that! I love the packaging mimicking a nail polish bottle and these nails promise to give salon results - so in that sense I guess they are cheaper than going to a Salon. I'm interested to see if they have the same holding power as using nail glue. I received the Classic French Manicure stick ons but I am intrigued to try the Red as they look fabulous!


AWAPUHI By Paul Mitchell Wild Ginger Treatment Oil (Value £6.49)
I am a huge fan of the AWAPUHI range by Paul Mitchell and have been enjoying using the Wild Ginger Hair Treatment. I think the range is great quality and smells amazing. This treatment oil has the same gorgeous sweet gingery scent that reminds me very much of Starbucks Gingerbread Latte. My hair at the ends is parched due to bleaching and I am currently trying out several different hair oils so this is a welcome edition and I'm very happy that this has been included in the box. I tried a little of the oil this morning on the ends of my hair and its non-greasy, lightweight, absorbs quickly and left a nice silky texture and shine. I would say it's more like a serum than an oil.  


BM BEAUTY Pure Mineral Eyeshadow in Dusty Road (Value £3.50)
I have heard of this brand before but I don't believe I have tried any of the make up before now. This brand is cruelty free and suitable for vegetarians and vegans and this eye shadow doubles as a highlighter. I received an award winning pure mineral eye shadow in the shade Dusty Road which is a lovely warm antique gold which is my kind of shade. The only thing I tend to dislike about Mineral Makeup is that is can be messy so I'd always suggest opening these little pots on some newspaper to avoid them going all over your carpet! 


COMO SHAMBHALA Invigorate Shower Gel (Value £3.33)
I received a COMO SHAMBHALA Body Lotion in my first Glossybox and I loved it! I actually used it as a foot cream as the scent was quite over-powering for me to use as a body lotion but I found it super hydrating. This month I received the shower gel which contains a blend of essential oils: eucalyptus, geranium, lavender and peppermint that puts you in a perfectly uplifted mood. It has that spa-like scent which is very refreshing and awakening I shall enjoy using this on a morning to perk me up as I am certainly not a morning person!

The star items this month for me are the press on manicure, the hair oil and the shower gel. I have roughly totted up the value of the items and it comes to £38.34 so great value considering the box costs £10 plus P&P you always end up getting at least 4 times the value of products inside. To order or find out more about GLOSSYBOX you can visit here. The Glossybox team are working on something Special for March's box - the Mystery Box - so keep your eyes pealed for that! Were you pleased with your Glossybox this month?

Monday Manicure: Jessica Vampy Vixen

On my recent trip to Lifehouse Spa in Essex we were kindly given a Goody Bag with a few beauty treats to test out - one of which being this lovely Jessica Custom Colour Nail Polish in the shade Vampy Vixen. On quick glance Vampy Vixen looks Black, but it is in fact a very dark green with a black shimmery undertone, it looks very chic. The polish applied like a dream, needed 2 coats but they dried so quickly I was impressed! The Custom Colour polishes are nail friendly too as they are formulated without using nasty chemicals such as Formaldehyde, Toluene and DBP.

Jessica Nail Polishes cost £7.65 including free delivery from Feel Unique or available from Look Fantastic. Are you a fan of Jessica Nail Polishes?

Review: Kyoku for Men Skincare

My dad, like many men, has never had a skincare routine - for years he has used soap and a razor that's about it. He refuses to try a moisturiser and won't wear sun cream despite my constant nagging! However where shampoo and body products are concerned he will happily use whatever of mine he finds in the bathroom, even my expensive hairdresser shampoo :( He seems to prefer girly scents over the typical 'man' scented products. I had to laugh once he thought he picked up my shampoo but it was in fact my fake tan! 

Recently he agreed to try out the Kyoku skincare range for men and for the first time ever stick to a skincare routine. Designed specially for men's skin by Asim Akhtar, Kyoku for Men products combine cutting-edge skincare technology with effective natural ingredients, such as ginseng, green tea leaf, bamboo, chamomile and avocado oil. Kyoku for Men incorporates ancient Japanese knowledge of the active properties in natural extracts with up to the minute scientific research, resulting in the ultimate grooming line for the active urban lifestyle. Inspired by the ancient Japanese ritual of Kirei but adapted for contemporary use, Kyoku men's grooming keeps it simple, take just 5 minutes a day for yourself and perform the 3 rituals: Cleanse to clean away the dirt and oils of daily life; Scrub to get rid of blackheads and prevent blemishes and fuel to hydrate skin to give a stronger, more chiseled appearance. Kyoku mens grooming products offer a no fuss solution, that'll fit easily into your lifestyle.

Skin After

Skin before

Kyoku Daily Facial Cleanser (£19) contains ginseng, camellia leaf, peppermint, calendula, sunflower oil and oat straw extract to penetrate pores and   create a clean, healthy environment that promotes skin call regeneration.  


Kyoku Sake Infused Shave Creme (£25) (sensitive skin) contains japanese sake to soften skin while silicone mirco particles provide a slick, cushioned surface for a close and calming shave. Best to apply to wet skin using fingertips or a shaving brush, let rest for 2 minutes and proceed to shave then rinse off.


Kyoku Daily Moisturiser (£43) contains SPF 15, bamboo, avocado oil, green tea leaf, aloe vera, plankton and vitamin E combined to keep skin looking young, protected and extraordinarily smooth. 


My dad has been regularly using the daily facial cleanser, the shaving cream and the daily moisturiser for the past few weeks and is impressed! He likes the shaving cream as it gave a very smooth and closer shave than using his normal soap and water technique, however he did not like the scent very much he would of preferred a perfumed scent! He thought it was the Sake in the cream that was quite over-powering and said he wouldn't use this cream with his shaving brush. He has enjoyed using the cleanser and mosituriser and noticed a difference after the first day as his skin felt much softer. I have noticed a huge improvement in the texture of his skin and his skin looks cleaner and hydrated. The black and white simple packaging is very sleek and quite distinctive and looks chic on the bathroom shelf.


Would you be interested in hearing about more male grooming items? Now I have converted my dad into a skincare routine I'm sure he will be happy to test out some more products ;) You can find the Kyoku for men range from House of Frazer, Beauty Bay or Look Fantastic. Have you tried Kyoku before?

LFW Christopher Kane at Liberty's

London Fashion Week kicked off today and with the help of Liberty's London you can look your best with accessories from the hottest London designers, and get the catwalk look from Christopher Kane’s show with NARS.

Peter Pilotto Blue Printed Silk Scarf £195 exclusive to Liberty's available here

Jonathan Saunders Turquoise Star Print Silk Scarf £285 available here

CHRISTOPHER KANE

Pink Neon Vest £80 available here

CHRISTOPHER KANE

Black and White Floral Cashmere Shawl £295 available here

NARS Eyelash Curler £15 available here

NARS Larger than Life Lip Place Vendome £19 available here

NARS Super Orgasm Illuminator £21.50 available here